5 Large US Solar Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Companies

The solar energy industry requires electrical contractors to grow and adapt right along with it. This short list shows how companies of all kinds are meeting the challenge – from California start-ups formed in 2008 specifically to address solar, to century-old New England companies introducing new solar energy departments.

Here are 5 of the largest US solar energy EPC companies.

1. Blattner Energy

Avon, MN
Founded: 1907
Total Kilowatts Installed: 4,448,870
Total Kilowatts Installed 2019: 1,069,110

Blattner Energy installed more kilowatts of solar energy than any other engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company last year. If that’s not enough of an accolade, their recent growth is impressive. In 2019 they installed 24% of all the kilowatts they’ve ever installed. And they aren’t based in a famously sunny state, either. Blattner is in Minnesota, which is a testament to how Solar Energy PV technology is getting deeper into the mainstream and breaking free of outdated limitations.

2. CS Energy

Edison, NJ
Founded: 1906
Total Kilowatts Installed Since Founded: 767,490
Total Kilowatts Installed 2019: 233,230

CS Energy is an EPC, operations and maintenance (O&M), and energy storage company. Put simply, they really can do it all. They specialize in Optimized Projects, which are tailored to the size, energy production, and capital requirements of each individual project. Being able to provide totally customized solutions in the solar energy industry is critical in achieving the kind of growth CS Energy has.

And their commitment to their work, employees, and communities hasn’t gone unnoticed: In 2019 they won 3 Best Project Awards and were named the #1 solar energy EPC in MA, NJ and RI. Already in 2020 they’ve been named one of the Best Places to Work in New Jersey. Whether you’re looking for a solar energy EPC partner or a new company to work for, CS Energy has the portfolio and performance of an industry leader.

3. Swinerton Renewable Energy

San Francisco, CA
Founded: 2008
Total Kilowatts Installed Since Founded: 5,072,100
Total Kilowatts Installed 2019: 1,004,900

Swinerton Renewable Energy provides integration, engineering, procurement, construction (IEPC) services in solar energy PV and energy storage. They’re a subsidiary of Swinerton, which was founded in 1888, so needless to say they have the experience and leadership to maintain their growth in solar for another 150 years to come. If 2019 was any indication, growth won’t be a problem. The over 1 GW they installed last year was over 25% of all kilowatts installed. And they aren’t all business: the Swinerton Foundation has community-building projects all over the country.

4. Solar Energy Systems

New York, NY
Founded: 1998
Total Kilowatts Installed Since Founded: 62,479
Total Kilowatts Installed 2019: 11,417

Solar Energy Systems installed more kilowatts than any other New York solar energy EPC in 2019. Based in Brooklyn, Solar Energy Systems specializes in integrating commercial solar and electric systems, and they work throughout the Northeast. They may not have the highest number of installed kilowatts on this list, but they’re another inspiring example of how solar energy PV technology is succeeding in states not traditionally thought of as ideal for solar.

5. Black & Veatch

Overland Park, KS
Founded: 1915
Total Kilowatts Installed Since Founded: 1,296,093
Total Kilowatts Installed 2019: 515,833

Black & Veatch holds the spot of 4th highest kilowatts installed in 2019. This is far from their first success story: founded in 1915, Black & Veatch has been a best-in-class EPC for over a century (and they’re employee-owned). For most of that history they’ve focused on sustainable utilities and improving communities without leaving a negative impact. Just recently they launched a COVID-19 initiative to facilitate better contact tracing, testing, and screening through their experience with designing distributed infrastructures. This is the kind of innovative thinking that the solar energy industry is showing more leadership in, thanks to companies like Black & Veatch.

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Lessons from 3 States on Growing the Solar Energy Industry

South Carolina

Legislation and the Solar Industry Overcoming Disaster

In 2019, South Carolina passed the Energy Freedom Act. The driving theme with this legislation is “resiliency,” and they are taking it seriously. In 2017 and 2018 South Carolina was hit with hurricanes Irma and Florence, which left hundreds of thousands of people without power. Now the state has recognized that solar PV and solar power storage technologies are powerful defenses against future threats to their utilities infrastructure.

The Energy Freedom Act emphasizes “avoided costs and avoided outage costs,” which is a boon for solar energy contractors and the science of public utilities planning in general. This allows South Carolina’s Public Service Commission (PSC) to factor in projected potential costs of losing energy supply during an event like a hurricane. This also emphasizes solar energy storage, or “solar-plus-storage,” which is not yet common in solar energy legislation.

The legal issue of solar energy battery storage comes down to semantics. But the nuance is important and could set a precedent for other states. Before the Energy Freedom Act, net metering defined “customer generators” as “customer-owned or -leased systems that generate electricity from a renewable energy source”. As batteries don’t generate electricity, only store it, they were ineligible. The Energy Freedom Act updates this language to include solar and renewable energy battery storage technologies as eligible parts of a net metering system.

“Avoided outage costs” and “net metering” are not the sexiest or most interesting aspects of solar power. But it’s these details that will help the solar industry flourish, and South Carolina is truly leading the way.

Florida

The Solar Industry Overcoming Unfriendly Legislation

A seemingly obvious contender for solar energy projects, Florida has been slow to grow the industry. This is mainly due to legal roadblocks, specifically language that categorizes most solar energy companies as public utilities providers. This prevents them from selling directly to customers the way other states allow.

But Florida is adapting quickly and showing positive growth every year. In 2019, Florida had the second most solar energy jobs in the country with over 10,300 people working in the industry. This is an impressive 21% increase since 2017. Compare that to California, which has the most solar energy jobs in the country: they have decreased 11% since 2017.

How has Florida managed this growth? Cash. Florida offers some financial incentives for solar and clean energy, such as rebates for customers and net metering policies.

It’s frustrating that Florida has the third best geographic conditions for solar, but a government that’s slow to take advantage of it. But customers want solar and companies are doing everything they can to provide it, which is why Florida is also ranked third in the country for projected installed solar capacity over the next 5 years. If and when their laws catch up to their demand, you can expect that growth to boom.

Massachusetts

Legislation and the Solar Industry Overcoming Weather

There is an undeserved, but understandable, idea that cloudier states like Massachusetts can’t leverage solar as effectively as sunny states. But the costs of solar energy battery storage continue to fall and solar PV technology is advancing rapidly.

This is why legislation on avoided-outage costs and solar-plus-storage, like South Carolina has, is critical. And Massachusetts has some of the most generous net metering and solar energy storage incentives in the country. Their SMART program helps cover battery storage costs for lower-income households, which makes Massachusetts one of the easiest states to adopt solar energy as a consumer.

What These 3 States Tell Us

South Carolina is overcoming natural disasters. Florida’s solar industry is thriving despite an non-supportive government. And Massachusetts’ solar industry is growing despite being a low-sunshine state. What these three states tell us is that solar energy will continue growing no matter what. Between solar PV technology, public demand, legislation, and nature, solar energy will always have a champion.

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5 States Creating Solar Opportunities for Electrical Contractors

Adoption of solar photovoltaic (PV) and renewable energy storage technologies has been increasing exponentially over the past few years. In 2015 there were around 25,000 solar installations in the U.S. – today there are over 90,000. These 5 states are leading the way on solar with some of the best opportunities in solar PV  installations, job markets, and governance.

1) South Carolina

Last year, South Carolina passed the Energy Freedom Act to bolster the solar energy industry. This act emphasizes “avoided costs and avoided outage costs,” which allows South Carolina’s Public Service Commission (PSC) to factor in projected potential costs of losing energy supply during an event like a hurricane. The Energy Freedom Act also recognizes and incentivizes solar energy storage, or “solar-plus-storage,” which is still uncommon in solar energy legislation.

South Carolina is quickly becoming one of the best states for solar power projects, and there’s reason to believe it will stay that way for years to come.

2) Florida

Florida’s solar energy industry has picked up the pace in the past few years. In 2019, Florida had the second most solar energy jobs in the country, with over 10,300 people working in the industry. That’s an impressive 21% increase since just 2017.

If you look back on historical state data, Florida has lagged behind most peers when it comes to fostering solar energy. Now they’re ranked second in the country for projected installed solar capacity in the next 5 years. Even with legislation that is less generous than other states, Florida’s solar energy industry is growing. If and when these laws catch up to their peers like South Carolina, you can expect that growth to boom.

3) California

The solar energy installation sector in California accounts for 46,600 jobs, which is over 25% of the entire country. And a substantial portion of these jobs, over 28%, are non-residential and utility-scale projects. This means the highest demand in the country for solar PV and solar power storage materials and labor.

Unlike the other states on this list, solar energy jobs in California have decreased by 3.4% since 2019. This could be a potential sign of market saturation or waning government support. But it’s a safe bet that this lag will be short-lived. As new solar PV technologies emerge demand will increase, and existing technologies like batteries are becoming more widely accessible and recognized in legislation.

4) Arizona

Arizona has more sunny days per year than any other state. This has obvious benefits for solar-plus-storage PV technologies, but there are advantages to Arizona beyond the sun.

Even right at the borders of major cities like Phoenix there are miles of undeveloped land. For non-residential and utility-scale solar power installations especially, this is an advantage that most major cities can not provide.

In addition to the surplus of sun and land, Arizona has the second most solar energy manufacturing in the country. Unfortunately, adoption has been slow in the state due to net metering charges, disappearing incentives, and a less accepting public attitude towards solar energy in general.

5) Massachusetts

Northeastern states like Massachusetts often have the undeserved reputation that solar is less effective due to their cloudy weather. But especially with the prices of solar energy battery storage dropping, the need for constant sun is outdated.

Massachusetts has some of the most generous net metering and solar energy storage incentives in the country. This includes their SMART program, which helps cover the costs of battery storage for lower-income households, making this one of the adoption-friendliest states in the country.

Another benefit to Massachusetts is the number of science and technology universities and institutions. Utility-scale and infrastructure solar energy projects are often channeled through such technological organizations, and in Massachusetts those organizations are already well-networked with local government.

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